Thursday, April 8, 2010

Indo - Chinese vegetable in sour sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups vegetables (tomatoes, onions, baby corn, capsicum, beans, carrot, cabbage), chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup paneer cubes, saute in a tsp of oil for 3 mts
1-2 finely chopped green chilli
1 tsp grated ginger
1 1/2 tsps light soya sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsps tomato puree
1 tbsp cornflour
1 1/4 cups water
salt to taste
1 1/4 tbsps sesame oil or peanut oil
2 tbsps finely chopped spring onion stalks

Heat oil in a large wok and once the oil is piping hot, add the green chillis and grated ginger and stir fry on high for a few seconds.
Add the chopped vegetables (except tomatoes) and stir fry on high for 4-5 mts, constantly tossing them.
Reduce to medium heat and add the brown sugar, soya sauce, tomato ketchup, tomato puree and vinegar. Combine well and cook for 2 mts.
Add the tomato quarters and sauteed paneer cubes and stir fry till the spices coat the vegetables and paneer well, for two mts. Keep stirring constantly lest it burns.
Add water and salt and cook on high till the water reduces to half its quantity. Combine a little water to the cornflour such that there are no lumps and slowly add to vegetables, stirring constantly.
Keep stirring till the sauce thickens and turn off heat. Garnish with spring onion greens and serve hot with noodles or fried rice.

Tri colour Paneer Kababs

Tri-Colored Paneer Kebabs Recipe

Ingredients:
Yellow Colored Paneer Kebabs
8-10 paneer pieces (cut into a 2″ squares)
4-5 tbsps hung curds
1 tsp black pepper pwd (you can use a pinch of garam masala pwd also for added flavaor)
1 tsp amchur pwd or lemon juice
big pinch turmeric pwd –(give yellow color to the paneer)
salt to taste
Marinate the paneer pieces in the above marinade for 2 hours in the refrigerator.


Red Colored Paneer Kebabs
8-10 paneer pieces (cut into a 2″ squares)
1 tsp red chilli pwd – (gives red color to the paneer)
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp kasoori methi (optional)
4-5 tbsp hung curds
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste
Marinate the paneer pieces in above marinade for 2 hours in the refrigerator.


Green Colored Paneer Kebabs
8-10 paneer pieces (cut into a 2″ squares)
Make a paste of mint (small cup) and coriander leaves(small cup),1 green chilli,1″ginger piece,1 tbsp lemon juice and salt. Marinate the paneer in this paste for 2 hours in the refrigerator. This marinade gives a green shade to the paneer.

Make thick slices of 3 medium onions and 3 medium sized tomatoes and cut 2 capsicums into big pieces and keep aside.You can marinate the pieces with any of the above marinades. I usually toss them in a dressing of lemon juice and chilli pwd or pepper pwd and skewer them along with the marinated paneer pieces.

Chili Paneer

Ingredients:
1/4 kg paneer, cut into 1″ pieces (as shown in the image above)
6-7 tbsps spring onion whites
3-4 tbsps spring onion greens
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 tsp soya sauce
2 tsps vinegar
1 tbsp corn flour + 5 tbsps water
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 green capsicums, thin slices
1 1/2 tbsps tomato sauce
1 tsp red chilli paste (soak 3 or 4 dry chillis in hot water for 10 mts, cool, grind to a paste, and saute paste in a tsp of oil for 2 mts)
salt to taste
1/2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (optional)
2 tbsps oil

For marinade: (marinate paneer with below ingredients for 10 mts)
large pinch black pepper pwd
salt to taste
1/2 tsp chopped ginger
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp corn flour + 5 tbsps water

Heat oil in a flat non-stick pan, place the thinly coated paneer pieces next to one another and shallow fry till brown. Flip over and let it brown the other side. Remove and keep aside.
Heat a heavy bottomed vessel, pour the left over shallow fried oil (if necessary add 1-2 tsps more oil), add the chopped ginger and garlic and saute on high flame for about 30 secs. Add the chopped spring onion whites and saute for 2 mts. Add sliced capsicum and stir fry on high flame for 2 mts. Add red chilli paste, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and combine. Add the sauteed paneer and toss for a mt on high flame. Add 5 tbsps of water and adjust salt if necessary.
Add the cornflour water and combine on high flame, tossing the contents, for 2 mts. You will find that it becomes thick due to cornflour.
Add the chopped spring onion greens and combine. Garnish with more spring onion greens. Serve hot as a starter/appetizer.

Hariyali Methi

Ingredients:
less than 1/4 cup grated paneer
2 bunches spinach (discard the coarse stems)
2 bunches methi leaves (pick leaves discard stems)
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion
2-3 green chillis
1 tsp red chilli pwd (adjust)
1 tsp coriander pwd
salt to taste
1/2 tbsp malai (top of milk)
1 1/2 tbsps of cashewnut and melons seeds paste
large pinch garam masala pwd (elachi, clove, cinnamon)
1 1/4 tbsps oil

Blanch spinach, methi leaves, onion and green chillis for 4-5 mts and strain the water. (Add the onion and green chillis to 3 cups of cold water and bring to a boil, let it cook for 3 mts, reduce flame and add the spinach and methi leaves and let it cook for 2 mts ) Cool and grind to a paste. Keep aside.
Soak 6-8 cashewnuts in a few tbsps of water. Boil a tbsp of melon seeds in one fourth cup of water for 3-4 mts. Cool and grind along with soaked cashewnuts. Keep aside.
Add oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add a fistful of raw methi leaves and saute for 3-4 mts. Don’t burn them.
Add salt, chilli pwd and coriander pwd and combine well.
Add the ground paste and let it cook for 8-10 mts on medium heat. Add a cup of the strained water and cook on high flame for 3-4 mts.
Add the cashewnut and melon seeds paste and malai. Combine well. Cook for 4-5 mts on low to medium flame. Keep combining inbetween and cook to get the desired gravy consistency.
Add the grated paneer and combine. Cook on low heat for a mt. Add salt and garam masala pwd and mix well.
Serve hot with rotis.

Cheesy Crackers

These cheese biscuits are my contribution to the world of recipes and is posted for Akhila mataji’s Gaura Nitai deities.

Ingredients:
2 cups of All purpose flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese finely grated
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tomato blanched and pureed
1 teaspoon of asafoetida
2 teaspoons of powdered black pepper
2 teaspoons of jeera/cumin seeds
1.5 teaspoons of baking powder
1.5 teaspoons of salt
about 2 tablespoons water to knead the dough.

Procedure
Make a well in the flour, and add all the ingredients and water if necessary to make it into a smooth dough. Dust the countertop or a wooden board with flour,roll out the dough into a rectangular sheet. Using a pizza cutter cut the sheet into triangular pieces. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Lay the pieces of biscuit on a baking tray or cooking sheet and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown at the edges.

Fafda

Ingredients:

2 cups Besan
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Ajwain
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Salt

How to make Fafda:
• Mix the besan, soda, ajwain, haldi, oil (1 tbsp) and salt together in a bowl. Add water to it and knead into soft dough.
• Take a portion of the dough and place it on a greased surface.
• With base of your palm, flatten the dough and then, cut out 2″ strips from it.
• Fry these strips over medium heat until crisp. Let them cool

Boondi Ladoo

Ingredients:

Chickpea flour/besan 1 cup

Sugar 1 1/4 cup

Oil/ghee for frying

Cardamom powder upto 1 tsp

Water 1/2 cup

Saffron strands soaked in 1 teaspoon of warm milk

Raisins and broken cashew bits.

Mix the besan flour with water till it resembles heavy cream. Use a whisk to break any flour clumps and get a homogenous mixture. Add the milk with the saffron strands to the batter. Heat the oil or ghee is a frying pan. Using a ladle pour the batter on to the boodi ladle.The boondi ladle is a sieve with round holes and a long handle. If this is not available one can use a colander instead. Pour the batter onto the boondi ladle and briskly pass the a spoon or another ladle over the circumference of the boondi ladle in circular motions so that the batter is forced through the holes in the ladle and into the frying pan. The boondis need not be fried crisp as for savory dishes like raita. Simultaneously mix the half cup of water with the sugar and stirring it continuously. Let it boil and thicken. When the syrup is dropped on a steel plate the droplet should not flow. In other words, it should set on the plate. Then the sugar syrup is ready. Add the fried boondi to the sugar syrup. Mix it well, add the cardamom powder and some raisins and cahews fried in a tablespoon of ghee, till the cashews turn golden brown and the raisins plump up.

Tip: You can stubstitute 1/4 cup of Badam powder available in the stores as in MTR’s Badam feast etc. This powder can be easily made at home and the recipe will follow in duie course.

Let the boondi soak in the sugar syrup. While still warm shape the soaked boondi into laddus of desired size.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Khandvi In Microwave

Ingredients;
Besan/Chickpea (Gram) Flour – 1 cup
Buttermilk – 2 cups (1 cup yogurt + 1 cup water)
Turmeric Powder – 1/8 tsp
Asafoetida – pinch
Salt – to taste

For Seasoning:
Oil – 4 tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Asafoetida – pinch
Green Chillies – 2 (cut length wise)
Grated Coconut – 1 Tbsp
Cilantro (Coriander) – chopped for garnishing

Method:

In a large microwave safe bowl, mix Besan (Gram Flour), Yogurt, Turmeric Powder, Salt and Asofoetida.
Add Water and blend the mixture to a smooth (lump-free) paste.
Cook uncovered in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.
Remove from microwave and stir to break up any lumps.
Microwave again for 1 1/2 minutes and stir again.
Microwave for last 1 1/2 minutes and mix well. You may have to use a hand blender to remove any lumps.
Lay out Aluminum Foil in long sheets (approx 2 ft) on the counter top. (Tip – this step should be done while batter is cooking. Once the batter is out of the microwave, you have to work fast before it solidifies.)
Spoon batter along one edge of the foil and with a flat spatula, gently pull the batter down along the foil (spreading it thin). Once the foil is completely covered, start on the next piece of foil. Repeat until all batter is thinly spread.
Let the batter rest for 5 minutes and allow it to solidify.
With a sharp knife, cut long 1 to 1 1/2 inch strips in the solid batter.
Gently lift the edge and roll the strip into a tight roll. You can make the rolls as big as you like. If they get too thick, cut it off and start a new roll.
Repeat rolling and placing rolls on a platter.
Sprinkle Coconut and Cilantro (Coriander) over the Khandvi.
Heat Oil in a small skillet.
Add Mustard Seeds, allow them to pop.
Add Asofoetida, Green Chilies and switch off heat.
Sprinkle seasoning over the Khandvi.
Serve at room temperature.

7 Layer Dip

Ingredients:

Refried Beans – 2 cans
Guacamole (Receipe given below or simply get Mix packet which is easily available in market)
Sour Cream mixed with a little Taco Seasoning
Shredded Cheese
chopped Tomatoes
sliced Black Olives
chopped Green (Spring) Onions

Optional Ingredients:
Pickled Jalapenos – sliced (layer after cheese)
Salsa – (layer after beans)

Procedure:

Layer each ingredient (in the order provided) in a deep serving platter. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1-2 hours minimum. Can be made one day in advance.

To Prepare Gaucomole :
Avocados – 2
Tomatoes – 1/4 medium, chopped
Onions – 1/4 small, chopped
JalapeƱos/Serranos – to taste, chopped
Cilantro – 5-6 sprigs, chopped
Roasted Cumin Powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – to taste
Black Pepper – to taste
Lime Juice -taste

Procedure:

1. Cut and peel the Avocados and take the flesh out in a bowl.
2. With a fork mash it up a little, be careful not to overdo it. It needs to have a little texture.
3. Add in the following: Tomatoes, Onions, JalapeƱos, Cilantro.
4. Squeeze some Lime Juice into it and mix.
5. Add in Roasted Cumin Powder, Salt and Black Pepper and mix well.
6. Chill and serve as a dip with some chips or as an accompaniment to a Mexican meal.

Vegetable Quesedilla

Ingredients:

Oil – for sauteing vegetables
Green (Spring) Onions
Tomatoes – diced
Bell Pepper – diced
Green Chilies – finely chopped
Spinach – chopped
Salt – to taste
Garlic Powder – to taste
Red Chili Flakes – to taste
Flour Tortillas
shredded Cheese
Oil – for pan frying

Procedure:

Use as much or as little of the vegetables as you prefer.
Heat Oil in a non-stick pan.
Add all of the vegetables and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add Salt, Garlic Powder and Red Chili Flakes.
Continue cooking until most of the juices dry up. Keep mixture aside.
Heat Oil in a non-stick skillet
Place one flour tortilla over the oil and immediately flip over.
Cook until light golden brown.
Flip over and spread cheese over the tortilla.
Spread vegetable mixture over the cheese.
Cover with another tortilla.
Spread a little oil over the top of second tortilla and flip over.
Cook until tortilla is light golden brown and cheese is melted.
Cut into quarters and serve hot with salsa, sour cream or Ketchup.